Liquid Feed for Cattle: Benefits, Costs & Ranching Insights with Drs. Neuhold & Sanders
Proper nutrition is a no-brainer for ranchers and feedlot owners. The benefits of meeting the nutritional requirements of cattle year-round are numerous. However, finding economical and convenient ways to accomplish this can feel overwhelming. One feed source cattle producers can evaluate is liquid feed. It is a tried-and-true feed that is available across the United States and its versatility may surprise you.
Liquid feed is as diverse as the operations that feed it. It is derived from a variety of byproducts and could be anything from molasses to whey to corn steep or even CCDS. It can be used as an ingredient, full suspensions can be formulated, or it can be fed to cattle in a free-choice pasture setting. Dr. Kelley Neuhold – Beef Technical Support Manager at Westway Feeds said, “What we do is take all these different byproducts and mix them together to create a consistent, high-quality feed. We can customize the product to meet the individual needs of each ranch by incorporating minerals, vitamins, fly control or even urea just to name a few examples.” Liquid feed is not limited to traditional byproducts we see in the beef industry either. “If it is a liquid byproduct that has nutrition to it whether that is a sugar or a protein source for example it falls into the liquid feed category. If it has nutrients, we can use it to feed cattle,” said Dr. Kelly Sanders – Director of Research and Development at Westway Feeds. This opens the door to utilize byproducts from juices and other industries too.
The concept of liquid feed is not new. The first patent was created around 1913 and looked at rehydrating a dried molasses product. It took off in the 1930s thanks to the sugar industry in Florida. Feedlots and dairies were the first industries to embrace the feed source and technology behind it. “One thing that is notable about liquid feed is that we’ve made tremendous progress in understanding how to produce it and feed it since the first production plants in the 50s and 60s,” said Sanders. Today, liquid feed has a massive footprint in the cattle industry due to the versatility of the product.
Whether you ranch in North Dakota, Texas or anywhere in between; liquid feed can be incorporated into your feeding plan. “Geographical regions play a factor in which ingredients are available to make liquid feed but the nutrient requirements for cows are the same across the country,” said Neuhold. The most common methods ranchers use to deliver liquid feed are adding it to a totally mixed ration or putting lick-wheel feeders or troughs in pastures. How ranchers choose to incorporate liquid feed in their operations can be customized based on their goals, and which storage and delivery options are available.
Feed is the main input costs cattle producers have, so the economics of every feed source needs to be analyzed. Neuhold shared, “The biggest thing to remember is to look at feed on a cost per head per day basis and not a cost per ton basis. Some feeds might be cheaper by the ton, but cattle will have to eat a lot more to get the same benefits.” Liquid feed is often a very economical option on a cost-per-head basis due to urea being the protein source and molasses and sugars being the energy source. “Back in the day urea and liquid feed got a bad name and people still shy away from urea today. The truth is urea is a naturally occurring, safe protein source that is also one of the most economical protein sources you can feed cattle,” said Neuhold. Urea naturally occurs in cattle and provides nitrogen to convert feedstuffs into microbial protein.
Convenience and/or time savings is another factor ranchers should consider when evaluating the cost of products. “We don’t have $30,000 trucks anymore and diesel isn’t 50¢. The daily wear and tear on vehicles needs to be evaluated. It’s not the same economy it was 50 years ago,” said Sanders. In a pasture setting, liquid feed can be delivered once every 10 days as opposed to every day or every other day. Additionally, when that feed is available to cattle every day; the nutrient requirements of that cow are met every day. Sanders said, “Cows have nutrient requirements to meet every day, not every other day.” Neuhold explained that having pasture products like liquid feed available every day has resulted in better breed back and body condition scores for many ranchers. It feeds the microorganisms in the rumen in a way that allows cattle to utilize other feed sources more efficiently.
Another benefit cattle producers see by using liquid feed is reduced waste and shrink. Dry pellets and supplements all shrink whereas liquid feed isn’t going anywhere if it is in the tank. This is especially true if cake or pellets are fed on the ground which naturally creates more feed loss.
As ranchers continuously refine their feeding programs and look for the most economical option for their operation there are a few questions that are useful to ask. Sanders said, “I like to start with the questions – what are you trying to achieve?” After that dive into what feed sources are available and evaluate the cost per head per day and what equipment you have available to feed with. “Liquid feeds aren’t meant to replace a lot of ingredients in a diet. They replace a few things, but they are primarily meant to add to the diet and make other ingredients more digestible,” said Neuhold. If you want more information about liquid feed you can go to westwayfeed.com to learn more.
